On Thin Crust

What: Gialina pizzeria

Why: For some out-of-the-world thin crust Neopolitan pizza (and other equally delectable Italian fare)

Where: Glen Park, San Francisco

Who: Chef/Owner Sharon Ardiana, named this restaurant after her beloved grandma, Nonni "Lina". Gialina captures the essence of her family and homeland Italy and her way of sharing her love for cooking and food with other hungry kindred souls.

BayMonkey two cents: What can I say about Gialina, except that it is indeed a hidden gem tucked away in the small, nondescript neighborhood of Glen park. I stumbled upon this culinary discovery one fine, ravenous day. Needless to say, I was not disappointed and since that day of accidental "stumbling" in, have often come back for repeats!Food wise, Gialina is another SF joint serving Italian food/pizza. But the similarity ends right there. The menu is small, yet peppered with a little bit of everything (pasta, seasonal roasts, salads). There are some amazing salads, such as the Farro salad, which is a playful creation of tastes and textures with the avocado, fennel, ricotta and dill, all vying for the attention of your taste buds and creating a flavorful harmony. But it is their thin crust Neopolitano pizza which takes the cake! Although I dig deep dishes and Brooklyn styles and what not, there is something absolutely heavenly about those 600 degC baked, thin wheat discs that are served with some of the most interesting toppings I've ever had. From the simple Margherita to the "wildly" creative wild nettles with pancetta (Italian bacon), each pizza is a culinary delight. My favorite is the Atomica (mushrooms, bell peppers, chillies and onions on a tomato sauce smeared base) which has a smoky, spicy, tangy kick to it. If you feel that thin crusts cheat you off the divinity of cheese, then you can always go for the uber-creative butternut squash pizza with generous dollops of ricotta (It was a little heavy and bland for my taste, but is definitely worth a try if you are in the mood for something different). Their pizza (or as they lovingly say, "pie") menu keeps on changing, so you might find other new varieties upon your visit. And finally, since the thin crust pizzas never make you feel bloated or too full at the end, there is always room for some dessert. For that, the decadent Tiramisu is highly recommended!

MONKEY METER

Overall impression:

Food:

Green quotient (vegetarian friendly): Positively high, with salads (small or large size) and their mouth-watering pies.

Interior/decor: Very inviting indeed with burnt sienna/red walls with wood panels. Beautiful family pictures in black and white (I suspect they are of Sharon's family and her grandma) adorn the walls, giving the place a classy, vintage look. There is also bar-like seating for 2-3 at the table separating the eating area from the kitchen where you can perch on your bar stool and get a first hand look of the clay oven.

Service: Although almost always full (it is a wildly popular place, is small in size and does not take reservations), the servers are very nice and attentive. One of them has silvery white hair, a mysterious accent and somehow always reminds me of the white-haired twin brothers from the Matrix :-))

For details on Gialina (and for everything else under the sun), we have with us our faithful YELP.